Mavericks' Kidd fined $25,000 for criticizing refs

Mavericks point guard Jason Kidd looks for an opening against the Knicks' Jeremy Lin on Tuesday. (Getty Photo)

Dallas Mavericks point guard Jason Kidd has been fined $25,000 for public criticism of game officials, the NBA announced Wednesday.

After Monday's 95-91 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, Kidd said that the defending NBA champions don't get the respect they deserve from referees.

“We don't get the benefit of the whistle,” Kidd said. “I don't think we're looked upon as champions, but that's a whole other story. Dirk (Nowitzki) should live at the line if they would call it the way it's supposed to be. But he doesn't.”

Kidd and his teammates pointed to a 33-10 disadvantage in free throws and were particularly upset with a critical foul call on center Ian Mahinmi that allowed Thunder power forward Serge Ibaka to sink two go-ahead free throws with 46.2 seconds remaining. The Mavericks thought it was a clean block by Mahinmi.

Of that foul, Kidd said, “He didn't foul him. It was a bad call. Clean block. I just said -- to the official -- it wasn't a foul. He blocked the ball and after the play he said he bumped him with his body. I don't think so. It was a bad night for the officials. It happens.”

The Mavericks have complained about officiating the last two times they played the Thunder. Earlier this month, owner Mark Cuban was fined $75,000 for comments made after a Feb. 1 home loss to the Thunder, when he said that he hadn't seen officiating “this bad in a long, long time.”